Someone must pay for the fact that the craziest ending to a college football game we’ve seen this season shouldn’t have happened. Step forward, referees.
The Big 12 and the the Mid-American Conference on Sunday suspended the officiating and instant replay crews who worked the Central Michigan vs. Oklahoma State game for two games, according to ESPN.com. The decision came one day after Central Michigan won on a Hail-Mary-plus-lateral touchdown that only happened because of the officials’ timekeeping error.
“After a thorough review and evaluation of the entire Central Michigan at Oklahoma State contest, we have decided to suspend the officiating crew for the next two consecutive weeks,” Bill Carollo, coordinator of football officials for the Collegiate Officiating Consortium, said in a statement. “I have personally informed the crew of our decision.”
The officiating crew’s penalty will expire at the end of the month, but the instant replay crews will suffer a harsher sanction.
“The crew missed an opportunity to advise the MAC officiating crew of the misapplication of the penalty giving CMU an untimed down that resulted in its game-winning touchdown,” Walt Anderson, Big 12 football coordinator of officials, said in a separate statement. “NCAA rules permit instant replay to correct egregious errors and it is unacceptable that it did not occur in this situation. Additionally, this replay crew will not be eligible for assignment to an end-of-season bowl game.”
For those sports fans who think referees never pay for their mistakes, this one’s for you.
Thumbnail photo via Alonzo Adams/USA TODAY Sports Images
